He later sold it for$126,500. They range in value from a few dollars to as much as $200,000+ and include a smorgasbord of cool rarities and unusual pieces. 1916 Buffalo Nickel-Doubled Die Obverse. Nostomania's 100 Most Valuable U.S. You should follow us on Facebook too, we occasionally run contests on our page!). This one's going to be tough to find in circulation, but since it was produced after the 1950s, we had to include it. Here are 4 ofthe best places to find rare pennies: Read next: Most Valuable Nickels A List Of Silver Nickels, Buffalo Nickels & Old Nickels Worth Holding Onto! What penny errors should I be looking for? The top 100 penny stock listTop 10 Rare Canadian Pennies! 1913-D Buffalo Nickel-Type 2. Those coins are hard to come by, but if you have one, you may be in line for a real financial windfall. 1944-S copper Lincoln cent: 283 million minted, worth between 3 and 5 cents 1944-D over S copper Lincoln cent: worth $100 or more 1944 steel penny: 15 - 20 minted, worth $100,000 or more 1951 Wheat Penny Value Over 1 billion wheat pennies were struck in 1951. We offer reliable real coin melt conversions and hand written stats on each and every coin in our database. Sold: January 2004; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Auction. USA Coin Book has compiled a list of the most valuable US pennies ever known. While a circulating coin typically lasts 30 to 40 years, some lucky collectors have found pennies minted in the mid 1900s . In fact, the first "Fugio cent" was designed by Benjamin Franklin. But it is scarce to find an uncirculated 1926-S Lincoln penny with its original copper-red color. Not because of its date of minting, but because of its die variety. to the coin's reverse, at the bottom between the two stalks of wheat. But of course, youll want to keep in mind that the value of the coin could depend on the grade and condition. 01 of 15. Also try the Interactive, sortable, searchable pennies page. This created an overnight sensation among coin collectors, and this penny has become known as the "Holy Grail" for collectors of Lincoln pennies. While 484,000 were struck, several population estimates suggest only 50,000 to 100,000 may still exist a fairly large number indeed, but much lower than mintage numbers suggest. Remember, a substantial fraction of the coins that were once minted no longer survive today, as many have been lost, melted, or damaged beyond recognition. The most exciting thing is you can find some of these rare, valuable pennies easily because they're still in circulation. Regular minted coins from 1992 will have a noticeable gap between the two letters. This 1982 Copper Penny Is Worth $10,000! When an example as fine as this one crosses the auction block, it is certain to set record prices. Share to help us grow The list below details by far the most valuable cents released into the United States monetary supply from 1900 to 2020. This Indian cent had a total of six bids at the close of the auction on eBay. If you are investing money in rare pennies, buy coins that are in the best condition you can afford, and always focus on purchasing coins that display original color and are in nice shape overall. Carefully hold a magnet over the coin and see if you get any reaction. Do you have any of these coins in your penny jar? 1944 Steel Lincoln Cent: $75,000 to $125,000+##. Collectibles come and go. CoinTrackers.com is an invaluable resource dedicated to helping the coin collector and silver community. Just over 42,000 of the normal date versions of the coin were minted in 1799, according toUSA Coin Book. The 1909 S Indian Head Cent was the last year the Indian Head penny was minted, and has the lowest mintage of the Indian Head Cent series. 1913 Liberty Nickel-The Olsen Specimen. The Top 16 Most Valuable Pennies Small Pieces of Copper Worth Huge Amounts of Money By James Bucki Updated on 09/17/22 While the pennies pictured in the above photo are not valuable, the ones listed below are worth a whole lot more. But the rarest of all is this single known pristine example from the Denver mint. Jan 2016 - AU55 $211,000. We've compiled a list (with ref pictures) of the most valuable Lincoln penny errors that are in regular everyday circulation. An uncirculated example in its original mint state red color is extremely rare and valuable. These are everyday, run-of-the-mill coins currently in circulation. It is estimated that fewer than 20 were released by each of the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints. Steel cents require greater force when struck by dies. Of all the cents currently in circulation these pennies are worth the most money. To hold an 1877 Indian Head Penny in uncirculated condition is an extreme rarity given the poor economic conditions of that year. @mohammed_nanotech / Twenty20 Some little pieces of copper can be worth some huge dollar amounts. OK, we'll admit it. You Could Find This Rare Penny In Your Pocket Change Heres What To Look For. 1877 Indian Head penny, $2,650 Unlike the first five pennies listed in this article, the 1877 Indian Head cent isnt any type of error or pattern coin. However, when the die used to stamp each penny became overused, this led to a batch of coins with either a very weak "D" marking or some in which the "D" was nonexistent. There has been talk in recent years of doing away with the pennyas we move toward a more cashless society, but we're not quite there yet. Only 1,194 of these proof coins were struck at the Philadelphia mint before the Treasury Department dictated that the designer's initials be removed from the coin. While a circulating coin typically lasts 30 to 40 years, some lucky collectors have found pennies minted in the mid-1900s in their pocket change. According toCoinTrackers, just 850,000 of these rare pennies were minted. Also, the listing claims that it was the first American coin to use nickel to inspire a coin-collecting hobby in the late 1800s. The odds of finding a 1943 D Penny struck on a bronze planchet is likely around 10 in 217 million. The top 25 most valuable pennies. Some little pieces of copper can be worth some huge dollar amounts. If you think you might be in possession of this rare error here are the steps you should take. Are you concerned the precious metals train has left the station without you. 1944 Steel Lincoln Wheat Penny, $125,000 Its believed that a similar story behind the creation of the 1943 copper cent is also what led to minting of the 1944 steel penny; blank steel cent planchets from 1943 that were hiding away in the coining presses wound up getting stamped with the 1944 dies, and the result is a rarity that financially well-heeled coin collectors will pay hundreds of thousands to buy. Sold: March 2014; Heritage Auctions, Atlanta, GA, ANA National Money Show US Coins Signature Auction. The penny has been part of US currency almost as long as the country has been independent. *This list of most valuable pennies refers to problem-free coins grading Extremely Fine-40 on the Sheldon Grading Scale. A zinc coated steel planchet is magnetic. Slightly more than 4 million of them were minted. Although the 1909-S Indian Head Penny has a smaller mintage, more of them were saved in uncirculated condition. In 2006, an MS67RD graded coin (pictured left) sold for $97,750. Wondering which pennies are worth more than face value? However, the financial hardship of the time (including the economic downturn following the "Panic of 1873") meant that few people were able to save coins for their collections. "In 1922, the Denver Mint was the only Mint which produced cents for that year. Why It's Worth So Much: Copper wasadded to the penny in 1944; the alloy also incorporatedrecycled ammunition shells. YOU'VE likely come across plenty of pennies in your life but rare ones from the 1900s and before then are selling for a ton of cash online. Its also one of my favorite coins! 25 Most Valuable Pennies (Updated)Thanks for joining the currency and coin community here on YouTube! Any one of these coins in circulated or uncirculated condition is extremely rare. Only 2,000 1856 Flying Eagle Cents were minted, making this quite the rare coin! A doubled die coin of any era is usually pretty scarce to begin with, but an Indian Head cent is scarcer still. This one's going to be tough to find in circulation, but since it was produced after the 1950s, we had to include it. CoinTrackers.com is an invaluable resource dedicated to helping the coin collector and silver community. Stay up to date with everything about U.S Coins, We dont spam! When the U.S. switched from bronze alloy to zinc-plated steel pennies in 1943, only a relative handful of bronze pennies slipped through. Source 1909 Penny The first Lincoln Penny was struck by the U.S. Mint in 1909 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The Indian Head penny was designed by mint engraver James B. Longacre and was first issued in 1859. This one, however, can earn you more than $1,000. Small Pieces of Copper Worth Huge Amounts of Money. The purpose of this page is to provide coin valuation data to collectors, investors, the media, and anyone interested learning what the most valuable pennies and one cent coins are. Similar to the other 1944 pennies mentioned here, there were only two San Francisco-minted steel pennies produced in 1944. 1926-S Buffalo Nickel. You'll receive a confirmation email shortly. Source: PGCS.com. . Lots Of Rare Pennies And How Much Theyre Worth Today (Most Are Worth $500+). And its so valuable not only because of the controversy surrounding it but its low mintage too - just 484,000 of these coins have been minted. Dont miss the 1936 Lincoln Wheat Cent Penny in your search for rare pennies, as one of these bad boys could be worth $2,222 in uncirculated mint condition. This post may contain affiliate links. Additionally, it was extremely well-struck, as evidenced by the minutest details present on the coin. The year 1971 was a good one for penny collectors. Pennies minted in zinc-coated steel planchets in 1944 are pretty scarce and, of course, highly valued by coin collectors. What follows are the 11 through 25th most valuable pennies: 1917 doubled die Lincoln Wheat Penny, $1,350, 1972 doubled die obverse Lincoln Memorial penny, $290, 1909-S/S over horizontal S Lincoln Wheat Penny, $275. Up until the late 1950s, Mr Brenner designed all the years ofthe coinsfeaturing Lincoln. In 2006, an MS66 graded coins sold for $32,200. As youll notice, there are several dates missing in the list above. Here's a list of the top 25 most valuable pennies: 1943-S copper Lincoln Wheat Penny, $185,000 - The 1943-S copper cent is the one of the most valuable small cents, with one example having sold for a cool $1 million at an auction in 2012. 1969-S doubled die obverse Lincoln Memorial penny, $10,000 Doubled die coins have to be one of the most popular error coin varieties out there. Nov 2020 - MS63 Brown $500,000. The most expensive coin on the list is also an Indian Head cent. Most recent sales of the 1943 Copper Penny. A 1944 Lincoln penny struck at the Denver, Colorado mint facility is nothing special. The high value of this coin is due to its uncirculated condition and its original copper-red color. But coins hold their value remarkably well. The mint mark is a smaller letter on the face of the coin underneath the year that signifies where it was minted. Designed by portraitist James Barton Longacre in 1856, the circulated coin features an eagle on one side, with one cent shown on the other. Real Helpful. In 2004, an MS66 graded coin sold for $172,500. Some believe it was a mistake, while others think someone created the coins deliberately. As always, the value of any coin is only worth how much someone else is willing to pay for it. We have discounted proof coins, error coins, as well as any special strikes, to create a clean list of pennies you have a higher probability of finding from the current pool of circulating United States currency. As a result, demand for United States coinage was at an all-time low, and families struggled to make ends meet. Whatever the origin of the 1943 copper pennies, they are considered by the Professional Coin Grading Service to be the most desirable and valuable of all Mint errors and are highly sought-after by U.S. coin collectors. 10 most valuable pennies If you're just starting out collecting coins and you're not sure what to keep your eyes peeled for, or if you have been collecting for years and just need a refresher, we've made a list for you of 10 valuable pennies you need to have in your collection. Feb 2016 - AU58 $280,000. Sold: August 2008; Heritage Auctions, Baltimore, MD, ANA US Coin Signature Auction. Im the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. Our most valuable pennies list includes coins starting in 1856 up to the present (2023) - including rare penny errors and rare varieties that could still actually be found in pocket change. Check out our penny price guides below. That may seem like nothing unusual but some of these have unique features about them that are attracting buyers. The ever popular Lincoln wheat penny was first produced by the U.S. Mint in 1909. Many citizens hoarded gold, silver, and copper coins as a store of wealth. There have been to our knowledge no coins in this condition and color found. For example, many of the doubled die entries on the list above (such as the 1971, 1972, 1983, and 1984 doubled die Lincoln cents) are much scarcer in number than the 1877 Indian Head cent or 1914-D Lincoln cent, but are not as widely collected, thus the values of those somewhat more obscure coins are lower. Beginning approximately halfway through the mintage of 1864 pennies, an "L" was added to the tail of the ribbon in the war bonnet on Lady Liberty's head. To My Young Brothers & Sisters at Reddit & Elsewhere. The force needed to create a copper penny is less than that needed to create a steel penny. This is an indication that they were not "helped" by some unscrupulous mint employee. Are you wondering what your penny is worth? Most valuable penny and Lincoln coins revealed - and one piece sold for $11,128 Anthony Russo Josephine Fuller Published: 7:45 ET, Oct 16 2021 Updated: 15:34 ET, Sep 2 2022 YOU'VE likely come across plenty of pennies in your life - but rare ones from the 1900s and before then are selling for a ton of cash online. Also, in the 1930s and 40s, most coin collectors acquired their coins from circulation, so it is not hard to find a circulated example of a 1926-S Lincoln penny. $6.24 . Coins are in order from Most to Least expensive. Out of all the leftover zinc-coated steel used in minting these pennies, Philadelphia produced about 30 of them. 25 Most Valuable Pennies. Leftover steel planchets from 1943 Steel War Cents were left in bins and mixed with 1944 Copper Penny Planchets. This 1999 S penny looks almost identical to the last one on this list, except, you guessed it, the A and the M are closer together. Having one in its original copper-red color makes it much more extraordinary. Its possible these coins may be hiding in the basement, inside an attic box, or even inside your penny jar. 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